Hood support for charcoal cooker



p 5 1956 E. G- HASTINGS, JR 3,274,987

HOOD SUPPORT FOR CHARCOAL COOKER Filed Jan. 14, 1965 INVENTOR. EARLE GRANT HASTINGS,JR.

BY limp MM ATTORNEYS United; States Patent Office 3,274,987 Patented Sept. 27, 1966 Filed Jan. 14, 1965, Ser. No. 425,387 7 Claims. (Cl. 126-25) This invention relates to a support or stop which is designed to operate in conjunction with a hood which opens upwardly from a horizontal position and is designed to prevent the hood from opening beyond a chosen limit. More particularly, this invention relates to a stop designed to operate in conjunction with the hood of a charcoal cooker to prevent the lid from opening so completely that an undue strain is placed upon the hinges.

In the past the conventional method of providing a support or stop for a hood generally consisted of extending a chain between the body portion and lid portion of the container, for example, a charcoal cooker. One disadvantage in the use of a chain, however, is that the chain is sufliciently flexible that it catches occasionally between the lid as the lid is closed. Another disadvantage is that a chain occasionally kinks.

The main object of this invention is to provide a hood stop for a charcoal cooker which is strong, durable and does not impede either the opening or closing of the lid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hood stop which is extremely simple to install in the charcoal cooker.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View partially cut away of a portion of a charcoal cooker showing the invention in place.

FIGURE 2 is a partial sectional view of a charcoal cooker showing the hood closed and the invention hanging in place.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the hood stop alone.

FIGURE 4 is a view along the lines 4-4 of FIG- URE 2.

The hood stop, generally 10, is shown in FIGURE 1 as supporting the hood of a charcoal cooker which is partially opened, in FIGURE 2 as hanging down inside the charcoal cooker with the hood closed, and in FIGURE 3 in perspective. In the figures, the lid or hood 12 of the charcoal cooker is shown attached to the body 14 means of a hinge 20. Both the hood 12'and the body 14 have been formed to contain flanges. In this instance, the flanges are disposed inwardly from the walls of the hood and the body respectively. Hood flange 16 and body flange 18 meet substantially flush with each other when the hood is closed. The body flange 18 provides a support .for the closed hood. Also, both the hood flange 1'6 and the body flange 18 contain an opening into which the hood stop fits. The openings in both the hood flange 16 and the body flange 18 are each made up of a T-slot 26 and a perpendicular T-stem 28. It is readily seen that the hood stop has a long cylindrical body with flat discshaped portions at either end, like a nail with a head at each end.

FIGURE 1 demonstrates the extreme simplicity of installation of the hood stop 10. The hood of the cooker is first opened partially. One head 24 of the hood stop 10 is inserted into a T-stern 26 of either the hood 12 or the body 14. The other head 24 of the hood stop 10 is then inserted into the T-slot 26 of the other unit, i.e., either the body 14 or the hood 12. The T-slot 26 is constructed to be slightly wider than the thickness of the head 24 and to be slightly longer than the diameter of the head 24. Also, the diameter 22 of the hood stop 10 is designed to be somewhat greater than the thickness of the head 24. The T-stem 28 is designed to be very slightly wider than the diameter of the body 22 of the hood stop 10. This choice of dimensions therefore means that the T-stem 28 will be somewhat vw'der than the width of the T-slot 26. Consequently, when the hood stop 10 is in stalled the body 22 of the stop must remain within the T-stem 28 portion of the opening and cannot get caught in the T-slot 26 portion of the opening.

The openings in the hood 12 and the body 14 are made so that the top of each T-slot 26 of each of the openings is directed toward the front of the cooker. The openings must be in this configuration in order for the hood stop 10 to be properly installed. When the hood stop 10 is installed and the hood 12 is open, the hood stop 10 genera-11y remains and slides within the T-stem 28 portion of the opening. The hood stop 10 cannot fall out since it can be removed only by lifting vertically the head 24 through the T-stem 26.

It should be obvious that the flanges on the body and on the lid would not necessarily have to be located on all four sides of the body or lid. It would be possible to have the flanges on just one side of the body and hood and still have an operable hood support. Nor would it be necessary to have the flanges on the body and hood extend inwardly. The flanges could extend outwardly. Also, should a different manner of resting the hood on the body require it, the T-slot portions could be formed from a separate small piece of metal attached to either the inside -or outside of the body or hood along one of the sides.

For the most eflicient operation of this invention the openings in the hood 12 in body 14 should substantially coincide when the hood is closed as shown in FIGURE 2. However, a slight displacement of the openings in relation to each other may be tolerated without seriously ailecting the operation of this invention.

The length of the hood stop 10 is critical only in that its length must be such that when the hood stop 10 is installed and the hood 12 open, the weight of the hood 12 will maintain the hood in an open position. That is, if the hood stop 10 is too short, the hood will not be permitted to reach a position where its center of gravity is beyond the vertical position and will consequently fail to stay open.

Of course, since the hood stop 10 is to be installed in a charcoal cooker, the hood stop must be constructed of a heat resistant metal.

In addition to the configuration of the hood stop 10 described above wherein the head 24 is a flat, disc-shaped portion, this head portion may have other shapes such as spherical, hemispherical or hemi-ellipsoidal configuration. That is, that portion of the head which is adjacent to and touches the cylindrical body portion 22, may have a curved surface. Preferably that portion of the head farthest away from the cylindrical body portion is a flat surface. The T-slot 26 is varied accordingly. Such modified designs provide smoother operation with less opportunity for the head portion to bind itself or to become stuck in the sharply angular portions of the T-stem and T-slot.

Since many different embodiments of this invention may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the specific embodiment described in detail herein is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

I claim: 1. In a charcoal cooker, the combination comprising: a body portion having a flange at the top of said body portion, said flange having an opening therein consisting of a T-slot and T-stem;

a hood portion having a flange at the bottom thereof,

a hood stop disposed within said T-stem and T-slot of said body portion and within said T-stem and T-slot of said hood portion. 7 2.. In a charcoal cooker as described in claim 1, said body portion having a flange at the top thereof whereby said flange is disposed inwardlyfrom said body portion and is substantially perpendicular to .the walls of said body portion, said flange having an opening in one side thereof consisting of a T-slot and a T-stem.

i 3. In a charcoal cookerfas described in claim 2, said hood portion having a flange at the bottom thereof whereby said flange is disposed inwardly from saidhood portion and is substantially perpendicular to the walls of said hood portion, said flange having'an opening in one side thereof consisting of a T-slot and a T-stem.

4. In a charcoal cooker as described in claim 3, said hood stop consisting of a cylindrical body portion having a length greater than the diameter thereof and a circular head portion at each end of said cylindrical body portion, said head portions each having a diameter considerably greater than the thickness thereof and each of said head portions being concentric with the axis of said cylindrical body portion.

a 5. In a charcoal cooker, the combination comprising:

a body portion having two side walls, a front wall and rearwall, and having a flange at the top of said body portion whereby said flange is disposed inwardly from said body portion and is substantially perpendicular to each of said walls, said flange having an opening in .one side thereof adjacent one of said'sidewalls,

said opening consisting of a T-slot and a T-stern, said T-slot being positioned closer to said front wall than said T-stem, and saidT-slot having a width substantially less than the width of said T-stem;

a hood portion having two side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, and having a flange at the bottomof said hood portion whereby said flange is disposed inwardly from said hood portion and is substantially perpendicular to each of said side walls, said flange having an opening in one side thereof'adjacent one of said side walls, said opening consisting of a T-slot.

greater than the thickness thereof and each of said head portions being concentric with the axis, of said cylindrcial body portions. 9 i

6. In a charcoal cooker, the combination comprising: a body portion having twoside walls, a front wall and rear wall, and having a flange at the top of said body portion whereby said flange is disposed inwardly from said body portion and is substantially perpendicular to each of said walls, said flange having an opening in one side thereof adjacent one of said side 4 walls, said opening consisting of a T-slot' and a T- stem, said T-slot being positioned closer to said front wall than said T-stern, and said T-slot having a width substantially less than the width of said T-stem;

a hood portion having two side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, and having a flange at ,the bottom of said hood portion whereby said flange is disposed inwardly from said hood portion and is substantially perpendicular to each of said side walls, said flange having an opening in one side thereof adjacent one of said side walls, said opening consisting of a T-slot and a T-stem, said T-slot being positioned closer to said front wall than said T-stern, and said T-slot having a width substantially less than the width of said T- stem; and

a hood stop removably disposed within said T-slot and T-stem of said body portion and within said'T-slot and T-stem of said hood portion, said hood stop consisting of a cylindrical body portion having a length greater than the diameter thereof and a flat, discshaped'head portionat each end of said cylindrical body portion, said head portions each having a diameter greater than thethickness thereof and eachof said head portions being concentric with the axis of said cylindrical body portions.

7. Ina charcoal cooker, the combination comprising:

a body portion having two side Walls, afrontwall and rear wall, and having a flange at the top of said body portion whereby said "flange :is disposed inwardly from said body portion and is substantially perpendicular to each of said walls, said flange having an opening in one side thereof adjacent one of said side walls, said opening consisting of a T-slot and a T-ste rn, said T-slotbeing positioned closer to said front wall than said'T-stem, and said T-slot having a width substantially less than the width of said T-stem; a hood portion having two side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, and having a flange at the bottom of said hood portion whereby said flangeis disposed inwardly from said hood portion and is substantially perpendicular to each of said side walls, said flange having an opening in one side thereof adjacent one of said side walls, said opening consisting of a T-slot and a T-stern, said T-slot being positioned closer to said frontwall than said T-stem, and saidT-slot having.

greater than the diameter thereof and a hemispherical head portion'at each end of said cylindrical body portion, said head portions each having a diameter greater than the thickness thereof and each of said head portions being concentric with the axis ofsaid cylindrical body portions. V

References Cited by the Examiner I UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,472,531 10/1923 Morris 16-82 1,819,212 8/1931 Toncray 1682 3 1,861,679 6/1932 Beitman 1316-82 2,666,426 1/ 1954 Pollard 12625 1 2,792,773 5/1957 Barker 12625 X' 3,085,562 4/1963 Persinger et a1. 126-25 FREDERICK KETTERER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CHARCOAL COOKER, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A BODY PORTION HAVING A FLANGE AT THE TOP OF SAID BODY PORTION, SAID FLANGE HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN CONSISTING OF A T-SLOT AND T-STEM; A HOOD PORTION HAVING A FLANGE AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, SAID FLANGE HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN CONSISTING OF A T-SLOT AND T-STEM; SAID T-SLOTS AND T-STEMS IN SAID BODY PORTION AND SAID HOOD PORTION BEING POSITIONED SO THAT WHEN THE HOOD PORTION IS CLOSED UPON SAID BODY PORTION SAID T-SLOTS AND T-STEMS SUBSTANTIALLY COINCIDE; AND 